What's in a Corset
by The River Watcher
Summary: What was the real story behind the first time Sully helped Michaela out of her corset? You know, the time that involved the Bandage Scissors! Completed!
1. prologue

Disclaimer: I don't not own the characters from Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. They are from the genius of Beth Sullivan and the financing of CBS. I rewrote one scene from the 1st movie, using some of the original lines. Those word, obviously don't belong to me.

One of my favorite scenes of Michaela and Sully as a married couple occur in the first movie. In particular it's the scene early on when Sully is lacing up Michaela and they have a rather interesting conversation about corsets. Somehow, they seemed to tell us something, without really telling us anything, and so I began to wonder. What if what we took off the surface of the conversation was far from what actually happened?

_Sully stood quietly leaning against his bedroom door. He didn't say a word, but his eyes glistened as he watched his wife before him. She was standing with her back to him, her hand very slowly pulling at the belt that held her dressing gown closed. Sully's breath hitched slightly as he watched the soft cloth fall from her shoulders, slowly exposing her smooth arms and the top of her back. After all these years, the very sight of her was still enough to make his heart beat faster. He knew every inch of her by heart; every curve, every freckle, every scar, and even now each time he laid eyes on her was like the first time he watched her step off that stagecoach. She still took his breath away. _

_Michaela stood staring into the full-length mirror quietly watching her husband's reflection with a slight smile. After she removed her dressing gown and laid it across the stool of her vanity, she looked up only to meet his gaze. _

"_Sully? Are you coming?" she asked quietly, raising her eyebrows and looking at him suggestively through the mirror. Her words jarred her husband into action, and he took several deliberate steps toward her, noting the playful smile that was playing on her face. Oh, this was going to be a long night. Too long for his liking._

"_I'm here," he replied simply placing a firm kiss to the back of his wife's head taking the time to smell the feathery scent of her hair. His fingertips came to rest on either side of her waist gently moving up and down over the soft satin of her corset. He slowly walked his fingers up her sides- a sensation that made Michaela shudder slightly. Sully only smiled and moved to kiss a rather sensitive spot behind her ear. Michaela let out a breath she had been holding._

"_Sully, you need to hurry."_

"_Why?" he whispered as he let his fingers tighten around the top most string of her corset._

"_Because we'll be late," she laughed. _

"_Late to dinner… with each other?" He allowed himself to descend further down her neck, placing soft kisses as he went._

"_Mmmhmm." _

_"Well, ya know we could skip dinner an' just go straight to the dessert."_

"_Yes, but I'm afraid that might be far too easy." She laughed leaning back into him before pushing away slightly. Sully chuckle softly in defeat as he straightened. _

_He firmly pulled on the crossed strings tightening all the slack from the thread above it. Michaela's upper body moved slightly at the harsh movement and he bent down to place another, tempting, kiss to her back before lowering his hands on her back. Another pull brought another kiss, and then another until soon he was halfway done. _

"_What?" He asked, having looked up and noted the faraway gaze and playful smile on his wife's face. Shaken from her reverie she caught his eye in the mirror._

"_I was just thinking about the first time I saw you in a suit." Sully matched her smile lost in his own recollection._

"_And I was just thinkin' 'bout the first time I helped you outta this rig." He smiled, wondering if she remembered too._

"_Mmmm, if I recall, I believe bandage scissors were involved." She smiled. So she did remember!_

"_As I recall,it was your idea," he whispered in her ear giving her a look that only proved to make her cheeks turn crimson. How he did it, she never knew. The man could always make her _

_blush with nothing more than a look. He knew his mere suggestive tone could cause her to flush, and what's more is he enjoyed playing with her. She laughed off her embarrassment, and decided to take him at his own game._

"_Well, thank Heaven for my medical training." With a final tug on her corset, Sully tied the laces tightly. Michaela leaned back and turned her head just so, in order to receive a tender kiss on her cheek._

"_Yes, thank Heaven." _

_To the casual observer, one might think that their banter back and forth was from an intensely private moment shared by the two a long time ago. Sully's sultry gazes and suggestive tone would certainly indicate so, as would his wife's crimson cheeks and almost girlish grin. However the true story, was more of an inside joke shared between husband and wife. Only remembered in those late night discussions when reminiscing seems to fill the conversation and security is found in the future. _


	2. To the Opera

Michaela Quinn leaned back against the nickel washtub and allowed herself to sink even further beneath the soapy water. She closed her eyes briefly, trying to find a comfortable spot to lean her head back without being jabbed by a hairpin. The steam from her hipbath was rising in the room fogging over the mirror and frizzing the loose hair that framed her face. Allowing one knee to rise just above the surface of the water, she reveled at the cooling sensation on her exposed flesh. Slowly, she dipped her hand into the water and brought the liquid up to pour over her chilled knee. The water dripped down either side until it met the larger pool. Slowly her knee warmed before returning to the same coolness as before. She repeated her action. Her movements becoming almost methodical after a moment or two, allowing her mind to drift back over the past few days.

Three days they had been in Denver, on their honeymoon, (Michaela smiled at this thought) and it felt as if everything had changed. Each feeling, emotion, and idea seemed to express something new about herself and her new husband. Sully had been true to his word. They had taken things very slow, but he didn't seem to mind. "Why'd we want to rush through? We got the rest of our lives." He said smiling sincerely when she had asked him, and she was enjoying the fact that each time held something new for them, something else to learn. She was quickly realizing that Sully was just as fascinated with her as she was with him, and she secretly loved the fact that there were little things about her that outright baffled her husband. Every once and a while she would catching him watching her. Of course, nothing that made her uncomfortable, although she did blush on most occasions, quite the contrary. She would find that some of his most intimate gazes came when he was watching her do the most mundane tasks. Almost as if he wished he could participate himself, but not knowing if it was right yet. Last night it had been while she was washing her face before bed, the morning before, when she was brushing her hair. Michaela was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't hear the door creak open behind her.

Sully entered the humid room quietly, not wanting to disturb his new wife. He was trying to give Michaela some privacy while introducing her to the new elements of their intimacy. That was one of the reasons he had suggested that she might enjoy a bath this morning. He stood back for a moment, realizing that she hadn't heard him enter, and watched as her hand made the precise movement from the water to her knee and back. He loved this side of her. The little things she did privately that until now had been a mystery to him. He smiled lovingly and said a soft prayer to himself as he absent mindedly thumbed the envelop he held in his hand.

Slowly, as to not startle her, Sully knelt behind the tub gently touching the top of her head to let her know that he was there. He nuzzled the side of her head and took a deep breath.

"Mmm, ya smell good," he said simply before placing a firm kiss to her ear. She turned her head into him.

"It's that 'fancy soap' that you hate so much," she said teasingly.

"I don't hate that soap. In fact it's kinda my favorite." This time Michaela pulled back so she could see him better.

"It certainly never sounded like you were too fond of it."

" That's only 'cause, it was too temptin', and you were off limits." He gently allowed his fingers to walk over the top of her exposed knee. Michaela laughed as she rested her forehead about the edge of his jaw. They stayed like that for only a moment, until Sully began to feel uncomfortable ache in his thigh and made to shift his weight to a more suitable position.

"I gotta surprise for ya."

"And what's that?" Slowly he brought his other hand around her and held up two slips of paper in front of her. She sat up a little and shook her hand off the side of the tub in an attempt to get the excess water off. "What is it, Sully?"

"Look and see." She gradually took the paper from his hand. As realization dawned on her, her eyes lit up and she looked excitedly over her shoulder.

"The opera?" Sully could barely contain his delight over her childlike excitement.

"Yea, I remembered how much ya enjoyed it that time we went in Boston, and I thought ya might enjoy it again. Is it a good one?"

"Carmen? It has been a while since I've seen it, but from what I remember it was quite enjoyable."

"Good, you'll just hafta remember ta let me in on what's happenin'." He grinned at her and she shared in his laughter.

"Oh, I will, I will." She assured him, placing a soft kiss on his lips.

"Show starts at eight. I thought we could have dinner 'fore that. But in order ta do that I think you might hafta get outta that bath, eventually. Come on, I'll help ya out." He stood and held out his hand to her.

"Oh, I'm sure you will Mr. Sully." She looked at him, the twinkle in her eye evident. Then she took his hand.

A few hours later Michaela stood leaning against the door of the armoire where she had stored her dresses. She was so very excited about the opera tonight and she wanted to find just the right dress for the occasion. Frowning, she thumbed through her dresses for the third time. There just wasn't anything that seemed to fit, and what's more Sully had seen her in them all. 'Oh, heavens. We're doing that now?' She thought to herself, laughing at her own giddiness. She had never been that girl who refused to wear a dress to more than one occasion. That spot was always reserved for Claudette and Marjorie. Michaela, on the other hand, honestly couldn't care less as to what she wore to a social outing mainly because she had much more on her mind than to spend weeks prepping for the next party. Of course, like any woman, she enjoyed the feeling of being beautiful in a new gown with her hair piled in the latest coiffure. It's just that this feeling was never high on her list of priorities. Tonight, however, it was.

Sully was standing in front of the mirror in the washroom wiping the last bit of soap off his chin before leaning in to examine his handy work. Running his hands over the smooth edges of his jaw line his eyes wandered over to the cracked door unable to keep himself from wondering what Michaela was doing. He hoped that she wasn't already dressed, and was slightly relieved when he found her still leaning against the open armoire door. Laying his pressed dress shirt over the vanity stool, he stepped over to see what she was so interested in.

"Tryin' to make a decision?" He asked peering his head over her shoulder to survey the different dressing swaying on the hanger.

"It is proving to be a difficult one. Any requests?"

"Wear the purple one." He suggested nonchalantly.

"But…" she stopped herself while she was fingering through the garments just to be sure, "But Sully I don't have a purple one."

"Ya don't?" His tone was one of mock shock, and Michaela immediately noticed it. "But I thought…. Then what's that over there?" He glanced around her to the corner of the room. Michaela, interested in determining exactly what he was talking about, followed his eyes. There, nestled under a wingback chair that sat in the corner of the room was a plain white box. In an effort to get her to examine the new discovery he placed his hand at the curve of her hip and gently pushed.

Pulling the box out from under the chair, Michaela placed it on the bed and then looked up at Sully.

"Open it," he instructed softly leaning against the bedpost and smiling secretively. Reluctantly her fingers came to rest on the lid of the box, pausing for just a moment before gently gliding over the smooth surface in an effort to find the opening.

"I should have known early this morning that you had something planned. You had that look in your eye."

"Look? What look? There's not a…." he let his voice fall away as he watched his bride free the lid of the box and freeze mid motion. Holding his breath, he tried to judge what was going through her mind at the moment.

"Oh, Sully…" she breathed so softly that he wasn't even sure she had spoken, but the look that she gave was enough to assure him that everything was just as he had hoped. Looking back to the box, she reached in and pulled out a deep purple taffeta bodice. Laying her hand back in the box, she felt for the matching skirt before returning to run her fingers lightly over the intricate beadwork that ran only the edge of the scooping neckline. When she looked up her eyes were glistening. "It's beautiful, but it's too much." Shaking his head softly, he reached out his hand to cup her face.

"No it ain't."

"But why?"

" 'Cause tonight I wanted ya to feel as beautiful as ya really are." He lightly ran his fingers over her lips before bending over and following the motion with his lips. For Michaela, the moment was one to remember. Never had anyone said anything like that to her before and truly meant it. If she had been able to complete a thought, she would have told him that what truly made her feel beautiful was him. It was the way he looked at her as if he couldn't take his eyes off her, the way he held her in his arms so tenderly as if she were the most precious thing in his world. It was the way he kissed her and somehow managed to make the entire world melt around them. However, at the moment, she couldn't find the words to tell him what she was feeling. Gradually, she deepened the kiss, snaking one arm up and around his neck while still holding the bodice firmly between them in the other. Groaning softly, he pulled back.

"We'll be late ta dinner." He pointed out placing a conciliatory kiss on her forehead. Sighing softly, she closed her eyes as she accepted the kiss, relishing the feeling of his lips on her skin.

"Thank you."

Sully was happy about how excited Michaela was over her dress. Seeing that look in her eyes as she examined the intricate detailing of the bodice made his chest swell with pride. He had put that look there. The thought that he could make her so happy made him smile.

Pulling on his shirt, he turned to see Michaela, having finished her hair, leaning over the bed and fiddling with a satin garment. Her motions were lost on him until she stood bringing the item with her that he recognized it as her corset. For the past three days, he had watched almost spellbound as Michaela laced and unlaced herself from the mysterious garment. To be completely honest, he had never seen anything like it before and the contraption perplexed him. He had wisely stayed away from the situation, but now fascination was beginning to take over.

Having made sure that the laces were loosened enough on the back, Michaela fitted her satin cloth around her body before fastening the busk in the front. Standing sideways in the mirror, she smoothed her hands down the silky fabric, making sure that everything fitted right. This wasn't her everyday corset. That corset, worn more to be practical than anything else, was made out of a plain cotton jean material. It fit just enough to add support, but not enough to make her uncomfortable. This satin garment was something more reminiscent of what she wore in Boston. It provided a different shape for some of her finer dresses, and fit more snuggly. Judging by the look of the waistline, Michaela assumed that she was going to have to lace it slightly tighter than normal.

Reaching around for top layer of crossed laces, she started to tighten the extra slack from the top of the corset. However, before she could make the motion her hands were stopped.

"Let me help," he whispered, planting a kiss to the back of her head. Smiling to herself, she dropped her hands. Of, course she was aware that he had watched her intently the past few days, but beyond that, she couldn't help but wonder how much he knew about lacing corsets.

"Ok, ya gonna hafta help me here," he chuckled.

"Well, you take these and pull until the slack up here is gone." She reached around motioning to the various laces running up and down her back. Her movements, performed strictly by feel, were so precise that it was amazing to Sully.

Grasping the laces between his thumb and forefinger, he pulled on the slack just as she instructed before reaching for the next pair of crisscrossed laces.

"No, wait. It has to be tighter than that."

"Really?"

"Ummhmmm. It needs to be as tight as you can make it." He pulled again.

"How's that?"

"Keep going."

"But I don't wanna hurt ya." She smiled at his concern.

"You're not going to hurt me. I promise." Looking up, she caught his eye in the mirror, her reassuring gaze urging him to continue. Placing one hand on her back, her grasped the laces in his other hand and gently pulled until he couldn't get it any tighter. Looking back up, he waited for her verdict. Michaela moved her upper body slightly, trying to gage the practicality of being this tightly laced.

"Just a little looser." When he complied, he was met with a smile. "Perfect." Slowly, he began to work himself down her back, taking up the slack from the laces on top. Michaela closed her eyes. She had been on her own for so long now that she was use to doing this task herself. Somehow, it felt so strange to have someone else do it for her, but at the same time, it felt so right.

"Ok, there's a big gap."

"Pull the top of the loop until the slack is gone, and then pull the entire loop." Sully did as he was instructed. "Now you start at the bottom, and work your way up." He repeated everything he had just done a second time.

"Ok I'm back to the gap again."

"Crisscross the two long strings and pull them tightly. Then they wrap around my wait." Leaning in so he could reach around her waist, he planted a kiss to her temple.

"My favorite part." Michaela laughed at him.

"I think it's long enough to tie in the back."

"All done," he stated placing the finishing touches on the bow he had just tied. Michaela turned around so she could look at him.

"What would I do without you?"

"Do it yourself, and probably faster." He laughed.

Michaela added her petticoats to her wardrobe before turning to her new dress. Gingerly taking the new skirt off of the bed, she slipped the garment over her head and smoothed the layers out over her petticoats before tying it tightly about her waist. Then, pulling on the bodice she turned to find Sully buttoning his sleeve cuffs.

"Sully?" She started calling his attention from his own dressing. "Would you do the buttons?" Smoothly, Sully's hands moved up the back of the bodice, firmly securing Michaela into the beautiful taffeta fabric. When he was done, she turned to him. "What do you think?" Sully's eyes roamed over his beautiful wife. The dress was perfect. It laid gently over the beautiful curves of her shoulders, breast, and hips before falling gracefully to the floor. The purple was just as exquisite as he imagined it to be, almost making the color of her hair shine in contrast.

"You're breathtaking," was all he could find to say.

"Really?" She glided over to the mirror to admire her new outfit. She loved it. "Oh Sully, it's gorgeous. Did you pick it out on your own?" She turned to him, almost expectantly wondering what the answer would be. Sully had to honestly laugh.

"Not really. I picked the color. I knew that ya'd look beautiful in that shade. The rest was Elizabeth's doin." Michaela wasn't entirely sure if she were shocked by this admittance are not. The truth was that the dress was so modern that she had suspected that Sully had had a little help, but that didn't bother her any.

"Well, remind me to thank her for her little role in your conspiracy plot." Michaela added, walking over and picking up Sully's cuff links that had been sitting on the vanity. Taking one hand in hers and then another, she fixed the bits of gold securely into his cuffs before reaching up and straightening his collar. She was enjoying this little domestic scene tremendously, and she could tell by the look in his eyes that he was as well.

"Well Mr. Sully, I believe we make a rather handsome couple."

"That we do." He said, stepping aside to slip into his suit jacket before offering his arm to her. "Mrs. Sully…" Michaela's stomach did a flip. Would she ever get tired of hearing that? Beaming radiantly, she took his arm.

Thanks for reading everyone! This is my first Fanfic so let me know what you think of it!!


	3. perfect for each other

"So the answer was to _kill_ her?" Sully asked as he guided Michaela through the entrance of the park. The opera had ended almost half an hour ago and the newlyweds were taking the time to enjoy the night air. Michaela shrugged her shoulders before replying.

"He couldn't imagine living without her."

"But killin' her ain't solvin' that problem," he pointed out making Michaela laugh at his reasoning.

She had enjoyed this evening tremendously and Sully could tell. He had wanted to give her a night that she couldn't have in Colorado Springs, a small part of what she missed from Boston, and he had succeeded. There wasn't any grand gesture that told him of this. Although most every time he looked at her tonight, she seemed to be shining. It was the small signs that he had spent so much time watching. At dinner, it was found in the way she chewed her food so slowly, almost as if she wanted to savor each individual bite, and every time she looked up at him her eyebrows were raised slightly and there was that subtle, crooked smile that he loved so much. When he would say something, she would blush and giggle. Her eyes never left him and it made him feel so proud to have her with him.

By the time they had gotten to the opera house, she had filled him in on a little of the story, but still withheld some things. "It's not going to be interesting if I tell you everything," she stated rather coyly while allowing him to help her slip out of her wrap. When she sat down, she sat eagerly on the edge of her seat, looking over the rail of their box before settling back into herchair. It reminded him of gesture a small child would do on an evening when the world seemed to present something new and exciting.

Once the curtain came up Sully was lost. Of course, he could have kept up with the story if he had wanted to. Every now and then Michaela would lean over to whisper something in his ear, but even this distracted him. He could feel the warmth emitted from her body and smell the faint scent of her perfume, but it was the way her hot breath seemed to run down his neck and make his hair stand on end that distracted him the most. Besides her proximity to him, Sully caught himself watching her more than what was happening on the stage. He was drawn to the way the emotions of the play were visible across her face. The pain and passion of the characters were so evidently felt by her as well. At one point, when one of the female characters that Sully could safely point out as having been rejected by her former lover sang of her sorrow, he felt her fingers sneak into his palm giving his hand a quiet squeeze. Instinctively, he drew their hands toward his lips and placed gently kiss to the back of her knuckle. Her head turned slightly, almost as if her eyes were being drawn from the stage without her actually wanting to look away from what she saw. When she finally did turn to look at him, she took his breath away. Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears and she smiled ever so softly at him before returning her gaze back to the stage. It was then that Sully realized that he would be happy just sitting and holding her hand for the rest of their lives.

"I suppose you're right, killing her wasn't going to do anything," Michaela consented, still laughing at Sully's common sense observations, "but he couldn't imagine her with anyone 

else. The very thought of it drove him crazy. He loved her." Sully shook his head slightly as he gazed off into the tree line.

"Nah, he didn't love her. Might of thought he did, but it whaten real. If you really love someone, you let them go- to be happy and free. Even if it is the hardest thing you've ever done, you let them fly." His words were so soft and calculated. It was a tone that had come to give Michaela a sense of security. She didn't know how many times she had heard him express his beliefs and ideas in this tone and somehow his words always served to calm her soul. She picked up on this tone now and realized that although his words held an important message they also had a double meaning.

"Yes," she added bringing her left hand up to rest on their intertwined arms, "and if it's truly love they come home." She turned her eyes up to him to find those two blue orbs looking back at her and that subtle smile that curled the sides of his mouth slightly.

"And what if they don't come back?"

"Then you must learn to move on and understand that there is something else planned. Something better." She squeezed his arms as if in silent communication. Tucking a finger under her chin, he pulled her closer to him and kissed her so very softly. The kiss slowly deepened. Her breath hitched slightly when she felt Sully's tongue slide slowly over her top lip. Reminding herself of where they were she tugged slightly on his arm, but didn't pull away. It was Sully who broke the kiss and looked at her expectantly.

"Sully, we're in public." She whispered, slightly out of breath. Sully chuckled. She was his Michaela and no matter what she would never change, but he had learned to love her for the way she was.

"Ain't nobody around," he whispered back before closing the gap between them. This time, however she did pull back, just slightly but enough to tell him that they weren't going much farther- here at least. Then they heard a clicking from around the corner in front of them. Before they had time to speculate on the strange sound, an older couple came into view. When the two strangers had passed, Michaela turned to Sully with a raise eyebrow. Her look was one of pure, "I told you so," and it made Sully laugh. They continued walking for a short distance in silence.

The beautiful silhouette of the mountains could be seen in the distance as the moon climbed higher in the sky. The early spring fragrance of wildflowers and spruce trees filled the air and was flourished by the chilled May wind. After a few moments, Michaela broke the silence.

"Sully why do you think everything happened the way it did if he didn't truly love her?" The question was quietly spoken and her tone was fanciful. It made Sully wonder how long she had been thinking about that it. "It's been my experience that if you don't love someone you truly don't care what happens to them in the end."

"He might notta loved her, but that don't mean he didn't care nothin' for her." He said simply, but knowing this wouldn't be enough for her, he continued. "He had strong emotions. Probably didn't know exactly what it was, but just 'cause she caught his eye he thought it was love. In the end he acted on his passions."

"Everyone seemed to be acting on those passions. Even Carmen allowed her passions to fluctuate from one person to the next, and it really was her actions that lead to her scorning of one suitor for another which initiated his actions."

"Sure was."

"But Sully, one thing I've never understood is how being passionate can be so bad in one instance and good in another." The question was sincere. It did seem to be a paradox that she was forever working her way through. Society seemed to say excess emotions experienced freely were to be looked down on, but in other circumstances to love deeply and live completely seemed to be the greatest thing a person could do with their life.

"I think the difference is the person. It takes a special person to know how to deal with feelin's that deep and to still be practical. It ain't somethin' everyone can do, but those blessed enough to be able to live like that see the world through different eyes." He nodded to her. "Like you, you ain't see things like other folks. I ain't ever met anyone that cared about people so much, loved people so unconditionally, and trusted so completely, but that don't get in the way of what you do up here." He gently tapped his finger against her temple before tucking a loose strain of hair behind her ear. Michaela smiled up at him.

"But you're like that Sully. There are so many things you care so very deeply about- the Cheyenne and their traditions, the nature that you see around you… your family." The last part made Sully grin from ear to ear. Family, _His_ family. Yes, she was right. Perhaps it was this unusual trait that was shared between the two of them that first made him fall in love with her. Wrapping his arm around her to break the chill that was quickly forming in the air, he pulled her close.

"That's why we're perfect for each other."

* * *

The subtle flickering glow of the firelight was a welcoming sight to Michaela who had grown very chilled on their way home and was shaking considerably. At one point, she was shivering so badly that Sully had stopped so her could take off his own coat and drape it around her shoulders despite her own protests.

"Sully, don't be silly. It's only a few more blocks. Besides you'll be cold too."

"Nah, I won't get too cold. 'Sides it's only a few more blocks." Michaela eventually just quieted, allowing her husband to care for her and secretly enjoyed the feeling. However, by the time they had gotten to the hotel the night air was even beginning to seep through the coat.

"Thank goodness they lit a fire." Michaela stated coming into the room and standing before the hearth.

"Cold snaps don't usually come 'round this time a year." Sully said removing both his coat and Michaela's wrapper from her shoulders so he could hang them up in the armoire.

"Cold snap? How cold do you think it will get?"

"I don't know. It was already pretty cold outside when we came in."

"It was cold? Huh, I barely even noticed." Michaela said with a teasing smile taking a few steps toward him.

"That's 'cause you were the one with all the coats." Sully teased back, but Michaela's smile dropped slightly.

"I'm sorry. You didn't get too cold, did you?" She reached out and ran her arms up and down his upper arms as if an effort to warm them. "The last thing I want is for you to get sick." Leaning down, Sully gave her a deep kiss, dispelling all of her fears and warming her from the outside in.

"I think I'll manage."He whispered before taking her still frozen hands in his. Placing a kiss to her knuckles, he added. "You're still cold. Go stay by the fire 'til you get warm."

Michaela did as she was told and wandered back over to the warmth being emitted from the soft glow. She reached back with shaky hands and slowly began to undo the buttons running the length of her back. The task was difficult and rather frustrating but she slowly made progress.

Sully could have helped, and probably should have, but as he turned from the armoire, he had to stop and admire the beauty in what he saw before him. His wife's small frame was a dark silhouette outlined against the golden glow from the fireplace before her. Her hair pinned and tucked in an intricate way on top of her head seemed to shine from the light, almost giving the appearance of a halo. Her back arched slightly as she had her arms up over her head and her long slender fingers were working methodically at the buttons. It was a beautiful sight. Sully sighed, walking toward the washroom. His skin tingled with the desire to touch her. He wanted to kiss her and surround himself with her, but he also knew that the longer he drew the night out the better things would be.

Having shed her bodice and laying it over the back of the wingback chair Michaela happened to look up just in time to see Sully cross the room. Their eyes met just before he reached the door to the washroom and the look she saw in his eyes spoke every thought that was going through his body. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt her cheeks turn a deep crimson red.

As her mind traveled back to the past few nights, her still unsteady hands reached back to unhook her dress and pull at the strings that held it into place. Grabbing the tail of the string, she pulled until she felt it stop. Jarring her back from her thoughts, she tugged on the string again. This time it didn't budge. Michaela knew that the lace hadn't been untied because her skirt was not even close to being open enough for her to step out. Following the thread back to the knot, she suddenly realized that it felt like a large tangle of strings. Michaela tried to turn her upper body so that she could see what the problem was, but failed to be able to bend that way. The next plan of action was to try to twist the skirt around to the front, but she quickly realized that there was no slack around her waist, and something was preventing her skirt from moving. Suddenly feeling very constricted by her own clothing she called for Sully.

Although she attempted to sound relatively calm, Sully detected the anxiety in her voice.

"What's wrong?" He asked, sticking his head out of the washroom.

"Something's stuck on my skirt."

"Ok, hang on." He walked around behind her and, after looking at the wad of laces, realized that he couldn't see a thing. "Let me light a lamp." After doing so and returning to his wife's slender back, he realized what the problem was. "The strings are tangled together."

"What?"

"The strings… on your skirt and corset." Reaching around to feel the knot herself, she tried to discern what was what.

"Can you fix it?"

"If ya move your hand." He laughed. He pulled her hand to the side and felt around the knot. It was very tight and he was having a hard time getting any slack. "What did ya do?"

"I didn't do anything! I just tried to untie it." She snapped a little too harshly. Her waist felt like it was shrinking by the minute and she felt like she couldn't catch her breath. "I'm sorry Sully, I'm just getting hot."

"Well, that's better than being cold."His attempt at humor didn't make her smile though. "Hang on, I'm going to get you outta this." Trying to gain a little more slack around her waist he reached up to and tightened the laces running through her corset. Michaela took in a sharp breath as the material tightened around her ribs.

"Sully…"

"I gotta get my fingers around it." He pulled again.

"Sully that's tight enough."

"If I can't untangle this mess I can't figure out what happened."

"And you do that by making everything worse?" Sully sighed in frustration.

"If I can't get my fingers around it I can't get it untied." His voice was lacking patience and Michaela was too tired to argue. She just stood there flinching and he tugged at her waist. Finally succeeding in getting the tip of his finger around the knot, he pulled the bundle of cords toward him unwrapping loops and string from around the bundle so he could see what the problem was. Apparently when he tied her corset there a lot of extra string, string that would have been tied at the front had she done the job herself. When she tied her skirt, she accidentally tied the extra mass into her bow. When she went to untie everything, the loops fell out and left her with a nice, tight knot. Michaela wiggled her upper body just slightly trying to find any comfort in the increasing tightness of her clothes. She was beginning to feel trapped. "Stop fidgetin'." He said losing his patience just a little.

"Just get me out of this thing!"

"I can't if ya gonna keep movin'." Losing her temper with her husband, she pulled away and turned so she could see him.

"I'm sorry, but if you had any idea how this feels at the moment. It's tight and hot and I can barely breathe and all you're doing is pulling on the strings and making everything worse!" Before she had even finished her speech, Sully had bowed his head placing his forehead on her abdomen. Michaela lost her train of thought when she realized his shoulders shaking. "Sully? Sully!" She placed her hands on his shoulder and pushed him back so she could see his face. It was then that she realized he was laughing. Laughing! "Oh, this is funny is it?" Silently he shook his head, laughing too hard for a reply. Although it was irritating her, his laughter was contagious and she was fighting the urge to giggle herself. "Then what?"

"It's… it's just…. Do you realize that our first argument as a married couple going to be because I can't get you out of your corset." Perhaps it was the way he said it, or the shear ridiculousness of the situation but Michaela soon found herself giggling also. Burying her face in the hollow of his shoulder, he wrapped his arms around her waist. They laughed together until Michael pressing a hand to her chest struggled to take a breath.

"Oh, oh, I can… can't… catch my… breath."

"Shh… it's ok… just … take a deep breath." He struggled to follow his own advice, but they had calmed down considerably before he asked. "Are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm just making plans to spend the rest of my life in this dress." She chuckled, trying to stay light hearted.

"That's not going to work." He said teasingly as he made to pull his arms from her waist. His left and came free easily, but as he made to pull his right arm away, he pulled Michaela with it, nearly knocking her over. Trying once more, he glanced over her shoulder. "What now?"

"It's my cuff link."

"You have got to be joking." The grave look on his face told her he wasn't. It was just too much. She started to laugh again. He gave another tug. "I don't think that's going to fix anything."

"Well, this is all I got right now," he mumbled trying to untangle his wrist from the mass of loops at the back of her skirt. It was useless. He couldn't see anything.

"Welcome to my world. Do you think someone's trying to tell us something?"

"If they are, I can't imagine what it was." The situation seemed so comical that it almost didn't seem real. Resting her forehead on Sully's chest Michaela continued to giggle. Mostly because she was afraid that if she didn't laugh she would cry. Everything seemed very dismal at the moment. Suddenly she had an idea and her head shot up.

"Bandage scissors!" She exclaimed proudly.

"What?"

"Bandage scissors, in my bag. You can cut us free." Recognition flashed across his face.

"Can we do that?"

"I have more laces for the corset. Just don't cut my dress." Sully laughed that she was still thinking about her dress at a moment like this.

"Beggars can't be choosers."

"Oh yes they can. Really, Sully don't cut my dress."

When they had first arrived at the hotel earlier in the week they had been rather slow at putting things in their proper place. However, one thing they both had agreed on was to put her medical bag in the bottom of the chest of drawers. "I don't think we'll be need this anytime soon." Michaela had said closing the drawer. She met Sully's curious glance with one of her own. "Besides I don't want to be Dr. Quinn right now, I want to be Mrs. Sully." Little did they know at the time that the location of her bag would later prove a challenge for them.

With his cuff link still firmly attached to the mess of strings, Sully tried to kneel down and manage the drawer with his left hand. Michaela, in an effort to give him as much room as possible ended up bending her knees in an unstable crouch while he reached in for the bag. When Sully picked the bag up, he did so with his thumb and middle finger greatly misjudging exactly how heavy it would be. He almost had it to the countertop when the bad slipped from his fingers. His natural instinct was to catch the bag with his right hand, but when he jerked his arm over he 

threw Michaela off balance. She toppled into him, knocking him over, and showering the contented of her bag over the both of them.

Michaela just lay there curled on top of him with her head buried in his chest. She was laughing so hard that her entire body was shaking. Sully, too, was laughing as he tried to brush medical equipment aside.

"You better not tell anyone about this." He stated simply rolling her to the side and feeling around for the scissors.

"No one… would ever believe… this story even if … I tried." She gasped between breaths.

"Ok It's not that funny." Michaela just nodded. Getting slightly irritated because he now couldn't find the scissors among the myriad of objects scattered across the floor he threw his hand up. "I give up. You were right. We are just gonna hafta live like this for the rest of our lives." However before he could finish, Michaela was rising up on her elbow and feeling underneath her; she pulled out the coveted pair of bandage scissors. Handing them to him, she smiled.

In an instant Sully had freed them both. Her skirt was kicked off and scattered to the floor and his cuff links found themselves lying next to a bottle of chloroform. Pulling the now damaged corset from around Michaela's body, he tossed it across the room.

"That's it. I'm never gonna touch that thing again." He threw his hands up, and Michaela feeling the constriction leave her chest just laughed. "No wonder they say those things are dangerous." He added.

"Who says those things are dangerous?" She asked, taking a deep breath and wrapping her arms around him, pulling him down toward her.

"I do."

"Oh, really?" Their lips met once.

"Mmmhmmm," was all Sully could manage in reply.

"But you got us free." She pointed out, pulling him back down to her. Another kiss, this time longer.

"Only because of your plan." He mumbled against her lips giving her another, short kiss before planting soft one at the corners of her mouth. Michaela pushed him away just far enough to be able to see his eyes.

"Well Mr. Sully, with my brains and your brawn we certainly make a handsome couple."

He winked at her.

"That's why we're perfect for one another." When he kissed her again it seemed to last forever.

* * *

**Side note: Bizet's Carmen wasn't first performed until 1876, and even then the reviews were not that good. However, I found the story an interesting topic to be discussed in this piece, so I decided to shift the dates around a bit. **

**Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this piece. Please let me know what you thought.**


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